CAS & Co. better holiday instead: Skilled worker shortage leaves Swiss fed up with further education

“You think to yourself: I am so much in demand, I don’t need to study further, I can just relax a bit,” summarizes Matthias Rüegg (63). He is the rector of the Zurich University of Economics (HWZ), which, to his knowledge, is the largest university in the country with only part-time business courses. This is clear from the figures: around 200 fewer people completed their CAS, MAS or other diploma studies at HWZ in 2022 compared to other years. This corresponds to a 10 percent student loss.

People over 50 should go to school

Corona also contributed to this: Many people wanted to catch up on their holidays after the pandemic was over, instead of going to school. At the same time, due to catch-up effects, the economy revived and the Swiss labor market shifted from a shortage of skilled workers to a shortage of workers. The storm – or rather the vacuum – in the further education market was perfect.

“This trend is dangerous,” warns Rüegg. “Further education is not a sprint, it is a constant sprint: you need to keep up with developments in the business world and keep your finger on the pulse of the times.” More education can help people, especially those over 50, remain employable. With the economic slowdown and the first waves of layoffs, older workers are the first to believe it. The old-age guillotine in the Swiss labor market is back in full force.

100,000 franc deal

Would it be beneficial for them to complete the CAS in HWZ for 10,000 francs? This is doubtful. “There is a real certification frenzy, new titles and further training opportunities are constantly being created,” criticizes Heidi Joos (69), director general of the Avenir 50 Plus association, which advocates for the interests of elderly unemployed and unemployed people. those who have jobs and those who receive social assistance. “Older workers very rarely have one of these new titles, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have relevant skills.” They not only have the seal of quality in the form of CAS, MAS or any other certification.

There are suspicions that expensive further education courses are being used to make money. HWZ, St. For the University of St. Gallen and other educational institutions, these are a more profitable business than traditional bachelor’s and master’s programmes. You can easily pay 30,000 francs for the MAS, a Master of Advanced Studies, which should not be confused with a traditional master’s degree. An MBA – Master of Business Administration, academic management training – can even cost over 100,000 francs, depending on the university.

Today, further education is simply a necessity, says HWZ Rector Rüegg. “If someone over 50 doesn’t have any education, the recruiter will be worried.”

The specter of overqualification

However, many affected over-50s do not hear that they were rejected because they did not receive further education; On the contrary: they are overqualified! Could an expensive education offer backfire? “To be honest, I feel like this argument is made because it sounds nicer,” Rüegg surmises. “People are much more likely to have the wrong qualifications.” Swiss employers are still reluctant to change careers despite a shortage of skilled workers.

The trough of laziness in further education now appears to have passed: enrollments in the HWZ have been increasing again since the end of 2023. Particularly popular: The new CAS for artificial intelligence management. Cost: 9500 francs.